Monday, November 07, 2011
Posted by
Lynn-Ann Gries
I am a venture investor and a former investment banker. I'm also a woman. At my first job, there were equal numbers of male and female trainees. But over 25 years in business, I've become one of the few women in boardrooms listening to pitches and negotiating deals. I'd grown accustomed to seeing few pitches from high-growth companies led by women even though I personally know many women whom I would back in a second. Why weren't they pitching me?
A recent reading of "Overcoming the Gender Gap: Women Entrepreneurs as Economic Drivers" a study by Lesa Mitchell of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation validated my gut. Mitchell's report says women who are capable of starting high-growth companies that serve global markets may be our nation's secret weapon for achieving sustained economic growth. C'mon, women entrepreneurs, it may take a little time but we can do this!
So, what are the obstacles in our way?...
Read the full post on Huffington Post.
Lynn-Ann Gries is JumpStart's Chief Investment Officer. She previously worked in the investment banking departments at both McDonald Investments and Smith Barney (now part of Citigroup), and in the sales and trading area at Morgan Stanley. She received her MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business and her BA in Economics from Smith College. She currently serves on the board of the Fund for the Future of Shaker Heights, the Great Lakes Science Center and Summer on the Cuyahoga (SOTC).